Only a matter of time. Cop kills homeowner while drawing down on dog.

[Anti Federalist]

Dog in police shooting ruled not vicious

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...gton/24078037/

Associated Press 4:08 p.m. CST February 26, 2015

BURLINGTON – The Burlington Animal Board has decided that a dog involved in a fatal police shooting of a woman was not dangerous or vicious and should be returned to its owners.

The board announced its decision Wednesday after a 90-minute hearing.

On Jan. 6, Autumn Steele, 34, was fatally shot outside her home by a Burlington police officer investigating a domestic disturbance. The officer was startled by the couple’s German shepherd, Sammy, which ran outside. The officer fired several shots at the dog when he fell. One of the shots missed the dog and hit Steele in the chest.

Steele’s 4-year-old son and a neighbor witnessed the shooting. The witness said the dog did not appear to be attacking the officer.

“I’m just very thankful,” said Gina Colbert, mother of Autumn Steele. “We came here from Georgia (for the hearing) because we never thought Sammy was vicious. I just don’t know what the next step is. I don’t know if we can take him back to Georgia with us or leave him here with Gabe. We will just have to wait and see. But I do know enough is enough. We are a family in pain. My daughter is dead, and my 7-year-old grandson is having a very difficult time (in Georgia) accepting his mother’s death.”

Burlington Police Chief Doug Beaird, who attended the hearing with several officers, accepted the board’s decision.

“This is a part of the process,” he said as he thanked board members. “The board is made up of citizens of our community to do what was done tonight. They listened to what was said and made their decision.”

[phill4paul]

Dog in police shooting ruled not vicious

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...gton/24078037/

Associated Press 4:08 p.m. CST February 26, 2015

BURLINGTON – The Burlington Animal Board has decided that a dog involved in a fatal police shooting of a woman was not dangerous or vicious and should be returned to its owners.

The board announced its decision Wednesday after a 90-minute hearing.

On Jan. 6, Autumn Steele, 34, was fatally shot outside her home by a Burlington police officer investigating a domestic disturbance. The officer was startled by the couple’s German shepherd, Sammy, which ran outside. The officer fired several shots at the dog when he fell. One of the shots missed the dog and hit Steele in the chest.

Steele’s 4-year-old son and a neighbor witnessed the shooting. The witness said the dog did not appear to be attacking the officer.

“I’m just very thankful,” said Gina Colbert, mother of Autumn Steele. “We came here from Georgia (for the hearing) because we never thought Sammy was vicious. I just don’t know what the next step is. I don’t know if we can take him back to Georgia with us or leave him here with Gabe. We will just have to wait and see. But I do know enough is enough. We are a family in pain. My daughter is dead, and my 7-year-old grandson is having a very difficult time (in Georgia) accepting his mother’s death.”

Burlington Police Chief Doug Beaird, who attended the hearing with several officers, accepted the board’s decision.

“This is a part of the process,” he said as he thanked board members. “The board is made up of citizens of our community to do what was done tonight. They listened to what was said and made their decision.”

Well WTF is up then? Because there is a very different story here....

Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers has elected not to file charges against the Burlington Police Officer who fatally shot a woman while responding to a domestic dispute in January.


In an eight page memo sent to Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation Agent Matthew George, Beavers lines out her reasoning behind choosing not to file criminal charges against Sergeant Jesse Hill in the death of Autumn Steele.

“After reviewing the complete DCI investigation, there were no criminal charges that applied to the circumstances of this case,” Beavers told KBUR.

According to the narrative contained in the memo, on January 5th, 2015, Autumn Steele was arrested for serious domestic abuse for an assault on her husband, Gabriel Steele. After a no-contact order was filed with the Des Moines County Court between the couple, Autumn Steele was released from police custody.

On the snowy morning of January 6th, shortly after her arrest, Autumn Steele returned to the home she shared with her husband. Gabriel Steele contacted police to report that Autumn was assaulting him.

Hill responded to the scene where he saw Autumn Steele pulling Gabriel Steele’s shirt and hitting him in the back of the head while Gabriel held the couples son. After advising dispatch that two individuals were fighting, Hill activated his body-mounted video camera.

Upon approaching the couple in an attempt to separate the two, the couple’s dog, Sammy, began to growl, ultimately biting the officer on the thigh–an injury that Beavers says was photographed. After asking Gabriel to restrain the dog, Hill drew his gun. The dog continued to approach. This, according to DCI’s investigation, is when Hill fell backwards, firing two shots: at least one of the bullets grazed the dog and struck Autumn in the chest

Immediately after he fell, Hill was apparently not aware that Autumn had been shot until informed by her husband. She died shortly afterwards.

In the memo, Beavers explains that neither murder, nor manslaughter (voluntary or involuntary) , apply to the case. She explains that Sgt. Hill firing his weapon was justified, as the dog, according to eyewitnesses, jumped on Hill’s back. Hill was the only responding officer.

She goes on to explain that Hill did not opt to utilize a taser against the dog due to an incident several months prior where Hill, responding to a vicious animal complaint, used a taser against a Pit Bull which did not incapacitate the animal.

Beavers called the incident a tragedy.

“A very tragic, accidental death,” said Beavers, “[That’s] what I would characterize it as.”

Hill has been on paid administrative leave since the January incident. It’s unknown whether or not he will return to duty with the Burlington Police Department.

http://www.kbur.com/2015/02/27/des-m...ho-shot-woman/

[Anti Federalist]

Well WTF is up then? Because there is a very different story here....

Cop sez, Mundane sez.

Justified.

Move along now.

[Uriel999]

Quran (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."

its a sad day when I agree with a statement from the Quran. Well except that part about their fictional moon god

[limequat]

Huh, I coulda sworn that accidental killing is called manslaughter. I'm sure the prosecutor knows better than me, though.

[Mani]

..According to the narrative contained in the memo, on January 5th, 2015, Autumn Steele was arrested for serious domestic abuse for an assault on her husband, Gabriel Steele. After a no-contact order was filed with the Des Moines County Court between the couple, Autumn Steele was released from police custody.

shortly after her arrest, Autumn Steele returned to the home she shared with her husband. Gabriel Steele contacted police to report that Autumn was assaulting him.

Hill responded to the scene where he saw Autumn Steele pulling Gabriel Steele’s shirt and hitting him in the back of the head while Gabriel held the couples son. After advising dispatch that two individuals were fighting, Hill activated his body-mounted video camera.

Upon approaching the couple in an attempt to separate the two, the couple’s dog, Sammy, began to growl, ultimately biting the officer on the thigh–an injury that Beavers says was photographed. After asking Gabriel to restrain the dog, Hill drew his gun. The dog continued to approach. This, according to DCI’s investigation, is when Hill fell backwards, firing two shots: at least one of the bullets grazed the dog and struck Autumn in the chest

Immediately after he fell, Hill was apparently not aware that Autumn had been shot until informed by her husband. She died shortly afterwards.

In the memo, Beavers explains that neither murder, nor manslaughter (voluntary or involuntary) , apply to the case. She explains that Sgt. Hill firing his weapon was justified, as the dog, according to eyewitnesses, jumped on Hill’s back. Hill was the only responding officer.

Well first of all the women was a psychotic maniac and thank goodness the police was there to save the husband and child.

Second of all the crazy rabies monstrous dog bit the officer and climbed on his back, and even nearly raped the officer. All while the evil woman with a witch like hat cackled with glee and began waving her hands like she was casting a spell, and the officer was tripped by an invisible force, while the 3 headed dog bit his thigh and continued to raped and attack the officer. Finally with one last great effort the officer got 2 shots off, one hitting the dog and one accidentally hitting the evil witch woman.

And that's exactly what happened...


It's not just children who write fairy-tales these days....

[Anti Federalist]

Justified.

Move the $#@! along.


Cop Who Killed Woman in Front Husband and Child While Shooting Their Dog Won’t Face Charges

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop...f6c111jYzrG.99


In her report, Beaver cited the fact that Hill is a police officer. Beaver says that he was in a difficult situation in which he was trying to stop a domestic dispute as well as protect himself from a dog. Being that he was a police officer, in this situation, he is entitled to special treatment, according to Beaver.

[phill4paul]

Justified.

Move the $#@! along.


Cop Who Killed Woman in Front Husband and Child While Shooting Their Dog Won’t Face Charges

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop...f6c111jYzrG.99


In her report, Beaver cited the fact that Hill is a police officer. Beaver says that he was in a difficult situation in which he was trying to stop a domestic dispute as well as protect himself from a dog. Being that he was a police officer, in this situation, he is entitled to special treatment, according to Beaver.

For cops there is a get out of jail free card, for everyone else there is involuntary manslaughter.

[Anti Federalist]

Cops refuse to release video of shooting.


Cop Mistakenly Kills Mom-of-3 While Trying to Shoot Family's Dog

http://www.insideedition.com/headlin...-attacking-dog

by Inside Edition 11:37 AM EST, December 22, 2015

An Iowa regulatory board is preparing to take legal action against a police department that has refused to release video footage showing an officer fatally shooting a mother instead of her charging dog as the woman’s three-year-old son stood by.

The Iowa Public Information Board decided in a four-to-three vote Thursday to sue the Burlington Police Department over the release of records from January 6, when Officer Jesse Hill shot and killed Autumn Steele, 34.

After he responded to a domestic disturbance, Hill found Steele, who spent the previous night in jail for domestic abuse charges, outside her home screaming and hitting her husband, the Des Moines Register reported.

“Hey, hey! Get your dog!” Hill yells as the family’s German Shepherd, Sammy, growls and barks, a 12-second clip from the body camera footage police previously released showed.

Read: Grand Jury Decides Not to Indict Anyone in the Jailhouse Death of Sandra Bland

He then fired twice, hitting Steele instead of the dog. Her three-year-old son was by her side when she was shot, according to reports.

The mother of three was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her stomach, but she could not be saved.

Though the portion of the video released does not show an attack, authorities said that Sammy jumped on Hill’s back and bit his thigh, causing injuries that required medical attention.

The shooting was later determined to be justified because of the attack and Hill was allowed to return to work.

Sammy was deemed to not be vicious and was returned to the Steele family.

Steele’s family and local media have pushed for release of the full body camera footage, footage from the cop’s patrol car, 911 transcripts and emails, the Register wrote.

“Police have made the claim that they can forever conceal any records of their activity, no matter what they are,” the Steele family’s attorney, Adam Klein, reportedly told the Iowa Public Information Board.

Read: Teen Couple is Found Dead in a Garage With Car Running But Police Believe it Wasn't Suicide

Police and the Des Moines County attorney have said they turned all their records over to state investigators and can’t provide the information to the public, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation claimed it doesn’t have to release the information since it is part of an investigative file and can be withheld under state law.

But the IPIB has sided with the Steele family and local media and will pursue “contested cases” against those agencies and the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

“I’m, for one, uncomfortable with law enforcement determining what should and shouldn’t be released,” said Information Board member Bill Monroe, according to the Register.

Formal charges against the agencies will be drafted in the coming weeks.

[Anti Federalist]

Cops refuse to release video of shooting.


Cop Mistakenly Kills Mom-of-3 While Trying to Shoot Family's Dog

http://www.insideedition.com/headlin...-attacking-dog

by Inside Edition 11:37 AM EST, December 22, 2015

An Iowa regulatory board is preparing to take legal action against a police department that has refused to release video footage showing an officer fatally shooting a mother instead of her charging dog as the woman’s three-year-old son stood by.

The Iowa Public Information Board decided in a four-to-three vote Thursday to sue the Burlington Police Department over the release of records from January 6, when Officer Jesse Hill shot and killed Autumn Steele, 34.

After he responded to a domestic disturbance, Hill found Steele, who spent the previous night in jail for domestic abuse charges, outside her home screaming and hitting her husband, the Des Moines Register reported.

“Hey, hey! Get your dog!” Hill yells as the family’s German Shepherd, Sammy, growls and barks, a 12-second clip from the body camera footage police previously released showed.

Read: Grand Jury Decides Not to Indict Anyone in the Jailhouse Death of Sandra Bland

He then fired twice, hitting Steele instead of the dog. Her three-year-old son was by her side when she was shot, according to reports.

The mother of three was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her stomach, but she could not be saved.

Though the portion of the video released does not show an attack, authorities said that Sammy jumped on Hill’s back and bit his thigh, causing injuries that required medical attention.

The shooting was later determined to be justified because of the attack and Hill was allowed to return to work.

Sammy was deemed to not be vicious and was returned to the Steele family.

Steele’s family and local media have pushed for release of the full body camera footage, footage from the cop’s patrol car, 911 transcripts and emails, the Register wrote.

“Police have made the claim that they can forever conceal any records of their activity, no matter what they are,” the Steele family’s attorney, Adam Klein, reportedly told the Iowa Public Information Board.

Read: Teen Couple is Found Dead in a Garage With Car Running But Police Believe it Wasn't Suicide

Police and the Des Moines County attorney have said they turned all their records over to state investigators and can’t provide the information to the public, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation claimed it doesn’t have to release the information since it is part of an investigative file and can be withheld under state law.

But the IPIB has sided with the Steele family and local media and will pursue “contested cases” against those agencies and the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

“I’m, for one, uncomfortable with law enforcement determining what should and shouldn’t be released,” said Information Board member Bill Monroe, according to the Register.

Formal charges against the agencies will be drafted in the coming weeks.

[Anti Federalist]

Cops refuse to release video of shooting.


Cop Mistakenly Kills Mom-of-3 While Trying to Shoot Family's Dog

http://www.insideedition.com/headlin...-attacking-dog

by Inside Edition 11:37 AM EST, December 22, 2015

An Iowa regulatory board is preparing to take legal action against a police department that has refused to release video footage showing an officer fatally shooting a mother instead of her charging dog as the woman’s three-year-old son stood by.

The Iowa Public Information Board decided in a four-to-three vote Thursday to sue the Burlington Police Department over the release of records from January 6, when Officer Jesse Hill shot and killed Autumn Steele, 34.

After he responded to a domestic disturbance, Hill found Steele, who spent the previous night in jail for domestic abuse charges, outside her home screaming and hitting her husband, the Des Moines Register reported.

“Hey, hey! Get your dog!” Hill yells as the family’s German Shepherd, Sammy, growls and barks, a 12-second clip from the body camera footage police previously released showed.

Read: Grand Jury Decides Not to Indict Anyone in the Jailhouse Death of Sandra Bland

He then fired twice, hitting Steele instead of the dog. Her three-year-old son was by her side when she was shot, according to reports.

The mother of three was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her stomach, but she could not be saved.

Though the portion of the video released does not show an attack, authorities said that Sammy jumped on Hill’s back and bit his thigh, causing injuries that required medical attention.

The shooting was later determined to be justified because of the attack and Hill was allowed to return to work.

Sammy was deemed to not be vicious and was returned to the Steele family.

Steele’s family and local media have pushed for release of the full body camera footage, footage from the cop’s patrol car, 911 transcripts and emails, the Register wrote.

“Police have made the claim that they can forever conceal any records of their activity, no matter what they are,” the Steele family’s attorney, Adam Klein, reportedly told the Iowa Public Information Board.

Read: Teen Couple is Found Dead in a Garage With Car Running But Police Believe it Wasn't Suicide

Police and the Des Moines County attorney have said they turned all their records over to state investigators and can’t provide the information to the public, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation claimed it doesn’t have to release the information since it is part of an investigative file and can be withheld under state law.

But the IPIB has sided with the Steele family and local media and will pursue “contested cases” against those agencies and the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

“I’m, for one, uncomfortable with law enforcement determining what should and shouldn’t be released,” said Information Board member Bill Monroe, according to the Register.

Formal charges against the agencies will be drafted in the coming weeks.

[SeanTX]

Cops refuse to release video of shooting.

I thought the latest news on this was that they had finally released the full video -- but maybe it was just another snippet of it. You've got to hand it to them though, pretty smart to delay the release as long as possible.

It makes it far less likely that locals will get off their duffs and do something, since it's "old news" by the time it's released. So much for the "more body cams will save us" line of thought.

[phill4paul]

He then fired twice, hitting Steele instead of the dog. Her three-year-old son was by her side when she was shot, according to reports.

The mother of three was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her stomach, but she could not be saved.

Does anybody think that if they killed an individual, while claiming they were shooting at a dog out of fear for life, that they would NOT be charged with involuntary manslaughter?

There is an enforcer class, which are the master's whip hand, and then there is everyone else, which are the indentured slave class.

You're a $#@!ing idiot if you can't see it for what it is.

[jmdrake]

Let me guess. She's white. Two reasons for this guess. 1) It's Iowa. 2) There are no protests and will be no protests or riots or people even losing sleep over this. "Black lives matter" doesn't care when white people get killed by cops and white people, in general, don't care when anybody gets killed by cops. I am waiting for the story when I get proven wrong on this. It's going to be awhile. The last time white folks got upset when people got killed by police (well...soldiers acting in a police capacity) was the Boston Massacre and it was a black guy that was killed first. That was the first instance of "black lives matter." Now #nolivesmatter.

Cops refuse to release video of shooting.


Cop Mistakenly Kills Mom-of-3 While Trying to Shoot Family's Dog

http://www.insideedition.com/headlin...-attacking-dog

by Inside Edition 11:37 AM EST, December 22, 2015

An Iowa regulatory board is preparing to take legal action against a police department that has refused to release video footage showing an officer fatally shooting a mother instead of her charging dog as the woman’s three-year-old son stood by.

The Iowa Public Information Board decided in a four-to-three vote Thursday to sue the Burlington Police Department over the release of records from January 6, when Officer Jesse Hill shot and killed Autumn Steele, 34.

After he responded to a domestic disturbance, Hill found Steele, who spent the previous night in jail for domestic abuse charges, outside her home screaming and hitting her husband, the Des Moines Register reported.

“Hey, hey! Get your dog!” Hill yells as the family’s German Shepherd, Sammy, growls and barks, a 12-second clip from the body camera footage police previously released showed.

Read: Grand Jury Decides Not to Indict Anyone in the Jailhouse Death of Sandra Bland

He then fired twice, hitting Steele instead of the dog. Her three-year-old son was by her side when she was shot, according to reports.

The mother of three was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her stomach, but she could not be saved.

Though the portion of the video released does not show an attack, authorities said that Sammy jumped on Hill’s back and bit his thigh, causing injuries that required medical attention.

The shooting was later determined to be justified because of the attack and Hill was allowed to return to work.

Sammy was deemed to not be vicious and was returned to the Steele family.

Steele’s family and local media have pushed for release of the full body camera footage, footage from the cop’s patrol car, 911 transcripts and emails, the Register wrote.

“Police have made the claim that they can forever conceal any records of their activity, no matter what they are,” the Steele family’s attorney, Adam Klein, reportedly told the Iowa Public Information Board.

Read: Teen Couple is Found Dead in a Garage With Car Running But Police Believe it Wasn't Suicide

Police and the Des Moines County attorney have said they turned all their records over to state investigators and can’t provide the information to the public, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation claimed it doesn’t have to release the information since it is part of an investigative file and can be withheld under state law.

But the IPIB has sided with the Steele family and local media and will pursue “contested cases” against those agencies and the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

“I’m, for one, uncomfortable with law enforcement determining what should and shouldn’t be released,” said Information Board member Bill Monroe, according to the Register.

Formal charges against the agencies will be drafted in the coming weeks.

[sparebulb]

Let me guess. She's white. Two reasons for this guess. 1) It's Iowa. 2) There are no protests and will be no protests or riots or people even losing sleep over this. "Black lives matter" doesn't care when white people get killed by cops and white people, in general, don't care when anybody gets killed by cops. I am waiting for the story when I get proven wrong on this. It's going to be awhile. The last time white folks got upset when people got killed by police (well...soldiers acting in a police capacity) was the Boston Massacre and it was a black guy that was killed first. That was the first instance of "black lives matter." Now #nolivesmatter.

You would be correct, sir.

[Anti Federalist]

Let me guess. She's white. Two reasons for this guess. 1) It's Iowa. 2) There are no protests and will be no protests or riots or people even losing sleep over this. "Black lives matter" doesn't care when white people get killed by cops and white people, in general, don't care when anybody gets killed by cops. I am waiting for the story when I get proven wrong on this. It's going to be awhile. The last time white folks got upset when people got killed by police (well...soldiers acting in a police capacity) was the Boston Massacre and it was a black guy that was killed first. That was the first instance of "black lives matter." Now #nolivesmatter.

FWIW, a lot of white people cared when the government murdered the Branch Davidians.

Then again, they were were about half white and black.

But other than that, you're right.

Old King George would not have even dreamt of pulling a tenth of the $#@! government routinely makes us suffer under today.

[Dianne]

There was an incident last night in an apartment complex up the road from me. A domestic dispute which turned violent. The dude pulled out a gun when police officers arrived and started shooting. The Charlotte swat team was called in, and the incident lasted around four hours .. But what disturbed the hell out of me was, this guy interviewed by the news saying at 6:00 a.m. he awakened to two SWAT officers standing over his bed telling him to get in warm clothes and get out of the building. I guess they broke every resident's door in to make them evacuate so they could go ahead and shoot the $#@! out of the armed perp. But would that not scare the holy crap out of you, to be sound asleep and wake up with two of the SWAT team standing over your bed with their guns? Not to mention if you had protective dogs (pets), first thing they would do is blow them away.

[phill4paul]

Justified.

Move along.

You don't know how right you are....

A mother dies, but secrets remain

On a cold January morning, a man killed an unarmed mother in front of her home as she argued with her husband.

The shooter later said he meant to kill the family dog, which may or may not have been acting aggressively. As he aimed his weapon, he slipped on a patch of ice and his shots went wide, fatally wounding the mother of two children.

Luckily, police knew the identity of the shooter almost immediately. And there was video of the killing.

If you or I were the shooter, it likely would have been an open and shut case of involuntary manslaughter.

But that’s where reality diverged from the normal judicial process in which evidence is gathered and ultimately presented to the public during a jury trial.

In this case, evidence and records were shuffled from agency to agency. Dangerous legal loopholes were exploited, which would allow law enforcement officials to keep such records secret from the public indefinitely.

Public officials stonewalled the family and their attorneys, charges were never filed and neither the family nor the public has been allowed to weigh the evidence for themselves, other than a few bits and pieces that were selectively edited before release.

At closed meetings held outside of public view, Iowa officials — whose salaries are paid with taxpayer dollars — advanced a dubious legal theory that would allow such killings to be investigated and dismissed with hardly any public scrutiny of the facts, even after the investigation is complete.

No, this isn’t the outline for a dystopian sci-fi movie.

This is Burlington, Iowa, and the shooter was a police officer responding to a domestic disturbance call.

The idea that any man is above the law, especially after admittedly taking the life of another, runs counter to the ideals upon which our nation was founded.

Even accidental killings can carry long sentences if prosecutors are able to prove the killer didn’t exercise due care to prevent the death.

But because of the shroud of secrecy erected around the facts in this case, such transparency and accountability in Iowa, like the life of Autumn Steele, has been snuffed out.

After a behind-closed-doors investigation, the officer was cleared of wrongdoing and was allowed to remain as a police officer in Burlington, while the family was denied the opportunity to know the facts behind her death.

In a moment that would make George Orwell blush, the curiously named Iowa Public Information Board voted after a behind-closed-doors meeting to rubber stamp the withholding of records, denying Steele’s family the right to even know which records are being withheld and why.

Could Iowa public information officials really believe the family of the slain mother isn’t entitled to see a list of what evidence in her death is being kept secret?

“At a time when people are talking about the need for transparency, the bottom line is that there is nobody that is sticking up for the public in this case other than the family of Autumn Steele and the Burlington Hawk Eye,” said Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. “This case and other cases around the country are eroding the respect that is accorded to law enforcement, because the public believes that officers are acting in a way that is harming the public and are acting outside of the legal system.”

To be fair to the officials involved, they’ve inherited a bad law that gives broad discretion when it comes to whether they must release records to the public. Even after an investigation is complete, Iowa’s laws allow police and other agencies the option to keep their files under wraps in perpetuity.

We’ve now had a chance to witness firsthand the fruits of Iowa’s sham open records system.

At this point, it’s been nearly three years since the unarmed Steele was shot in front of her home.

Thanks to Iowa’s perversion its own open records law, we may never know exactly what happened that cold January morning. Her family may never receive the answers it so desperately seeks. And the public, which is told we must never kill a person, sees only the double standard.

One thing has become more clear during the past two years: rules that allow public officials to hide important records from the public result in a broken system that hurts families, harms transparency and removes public accountability.

Iowa’s state motto reads, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.”

If we Iowans really prize our liberty and truly want to maintain our rights, we must do more than shake our heads in disgust. We must demand a change.

http://www.thehawkeye.com/opinion/20...secrets-remain

[Anti Federalist]

An Iowa officer said a dog bit him before he pulled his gun and accidentally shot a woman. Police video shows otherwise, a lawyer says

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...ill/641963002/

DAVENPORT, Ia. — Confidential police video fails to corroborate a police officer's account that he was bitten by a dog before firing shots in 2015 that accidentally killed a Burlington, Iowa, mother, an attorney said Thursday during a federal court hearing.

The dog bite is one of the big reasons that Burlington police officer Jesse Hill cited to justify firing the shots that killed 34-year-old Autumn Steele in January 2015. Hill was responding to a domestic disturbance at the home Steele shared with her husband Gabriel.

A 12-second clip of the video from Hill’s body camera that authorities released shows he fired his gun twice without warning after a growling dog is heard, fatally wounding Autumn Steele in front of her toddler.

Authorities contend that a German shepherd jumped on Hill’s back and bit his thigh, causing injuries that required treatment, authorities said.

The shooting was justified because of the dog's attack, a prosecutor later determined, resulting in Hill returning to work without facing discipline.

In a separate legal battle, the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Burlington Police Department have been charged with violating the state’s open records law for refusing to release the full video, saying it is part of an investigative record and is confidential.

The video was not played in open court Thursday. But Chief Judge James Gritzner of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa allowed attorneys in the case to describe pieces of the unreleased footage.

Not only does the unreleased video show no bite, but Hill never says that he had been bitten — a direct contrast to what he wrote later in his report, Dave O’Brien, a Cedar Rapids attorney who represents the Steele family, said during the hearing.

O’Brien additionally said the video shows that Hill's lapel camera was pointing at the sky when Hill fired because he had slipped on ice, ultimately losing his gun in the snow.

Firing the weapon in proximity to bystanders was inappropriate, O’Brien said.

“This is a tragic case. This officer acted in a way that was entirely unreasonable,” O’Brien said in Thursday’s hearing.

The city of Burlington and the Steele family each asked Gritzner Thursday for summary judgment in their favor, which would decide the case without a trial.

Gritzner said he would issue his ruling at a later date.

Calls to Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers and Burlington Police Chief Doug Beaird were not immediately returned Thursday.

Martha Shaff, a Davenport attorney who is representing the city of Burlington in the case, did not respond or comment during Thursday’s hearing about the apparent absence of a dog bite or a report of the bite from the video footage taken at the scene.

Autumn Steele had spent the night before her death in jail after being arrested for allegedly assaulting her husband. She was in violation of a no-contact order and reportedly screamed and hit him again when police arrived the home just before the shooting.

Hill was responding to a call of a disturbance and — in seconds — faced many unknown factors as he approached the scene, including an unfriendly dog, Shaff noted.

“The plaintiffs can’t show the officer’s behavior was unreasonable,” Shaff said.

[Anti Federalist]

So, based on the above:

A - The city cop administration lied and held back information required by law to be released.

B - The cop that killed this woman lied in his statement to authorities about what happened.

C- The cop further lied on his official report about the incident.

And everybody skates.

Nobody is punished except for the ever suffering taxpayers that hired these $#@!s.

[RJB]

So, based on the above:

A - The city cop administration lied and held back information required by law to be released.

B - The cop that killed this woman lied in his statement to authorities about what happened.

C- The cop further lied on his official report about the incident.

And everybody skates.

Nobody is punished except for the ever suffering taxpayers that hired these $#@!s.

If you know that this happens in nearly every case, you can appear like a psychic when you predict that the officer will walk.

[pcosmar]

So, based on the above:

A - The city cop administration lied and held back information required by law to be released.

B - The cop that killed this woman lied in his statement to authorities about what happened.

C- The cop further lied on his official report about the incident.

And everybody skates.

Nobody is punished except for the ever suffering taxpayers that hired these $#@!s.

And I signed the "Write up" for breaking rule #25.. under threat of a broken arm.
/irony
I was threatened with immediate bodily injury,, for allegedly breaking rule #25 (Making Threats).

singed the paper and went to the "Hole".


You will understand that this does not surprise me. but it does sadden me to see the "free" world turn into the upper yard.

[phill4paul]

Police officer moments after shooting Iowa mom: 'I’m going to prison'

A Burlington police officer who accidentally killed a mom while she stood in her yard with her toddler told another officer he was going to prison just minutes after the January 2015 shooting, records released Wednesday by order of a federal judge show.

“I pulled my gun and shot it and I hit her,” Officer Jesse Hill said to Officer Tim Merryman. “Oh, my God, no. Oh, f---, Tim. S---, Tim. I’m f------- going to prison, Tim.”

The incident occurred soon after Hill responded to a report of a domestic dispute during which he said an aggressive dog attacked him.

The records are among the first of hundreds of pages of documents and video that are being released Wednesday.

Hill slipped on ice when the weapon fired and shot Steele, who was standing next to her toddler.

Authorities released abbreviated footage of the shooting from Hill's body camera.

But for more than three years, and despite the request of Steele's family, the city of Burlington and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has blocked public release of other records in the case, including the entire police video of the incident.

Hill was never disciplined in the shooting, partly because of his report that he was being attacked by the family dog. That account has been challenged by the family, who say records and video do not support Hill's claim.

The case is seen by some open-records experts as a litmus test concerning police powers, specifically about whether Iowa law enforcement may suppress from the public unflattering footage captured by police dashboard or body cameras.

Autumn Steele's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court, which they settled this year for $2 million.

Judge James Gritzner of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa last month ordered that many of the contested records in the case be released.

Gritzner said the balance of interest between the common-law right of access and the benefits of maintaining confidentiality tip in favor of unsealing the records.

The city of Burlington issued a news release Monday, two days before the records were released. It said, in part:

“Officer Hill was deeply distressed, as any human being would be in those terrible circumstances, and his comments on the video must be viewed with that in mind,” the city’s statement said.

Federal officials on Wednesday were in the process of making all the documents public. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...ed/1278329002/

[Danke]

A thread @TheTexan missed.

[TheTexan]

A thread @TheTexan missed.

Thanks for the note. It seems like when an officer shoots a dog, people here complain about cops, and when he doesn't shoot a dog, people here still complain about cops.

There's just no pleasing anybody.

[TheTexan]

So, based on the above:

A - The city cop administration lied and held back information required by law to be released.

B - The cop that killed this woman lied in his statement to authorities about what happened.

C- The cop further lied on his official report about the incident.

And everybody skates.

Nobody is punished except for the ever suffering taxpayers that hired these $#@!s.

Sure, technically you're right. But if we start throwing cops in jail every time they accidentally kill some innocent person for like no reason and lied about it, we'd quickly run out of cops and it would just be anarchy.

[Origanalist]